STORYTELLING BOX

CONCEPT & METHOD




A storytelling box is just a box or bag full of items that correspond to the items discussed in a story. A Story Box lets kids with vision impairment to participate in a story. It is an early reading occasion that can easily be incorporated into your daily activities, as well as an instrument to enhance concept learning.

 

A story box's purpose is to provide a child with hands-on literacy experiences. Educators have long emphasised the importance of learning through experiences. This is how they learn how things relate to one another. Through the growth of ideas, these experiences teach meaning to their lives. For all children, education emerges from hands-on experiences.

 

The experiences of sighted children are rich in learning chances that occur by possibility; however, kids with Visual Impairments rarely, if ever, absorb knowledge accidentally. Teachers frequently expect blind children to come to school carrying the same knowledge that sighted kids have managed to pick up from TV, pictures, and other sources. As a result, hands-on experiences like Story Boxes are important for young learners who are blind.

 

In a nutshell, it is a fun, engaging learning opportunity for both children and adults.


PROCEDURE





Example of storytelling box

Source: Pinterest (Kirkwood, 2016) 


LEARNING OUTCOME





CREATIVITY


This activity can encourage students to think creatively and boost their imagination when creating the storytelling box to tell the story in their own way. 

FINE MOTOR SKILLS


Making spoon puppet allow to sharpen the students skills of cutting, gluing and handling materials. 

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Through the method used, students can get to live through and control a character hands-on, thus instilling values from the story into them for a more easier and practical approach to instill good values in a child. 

CHARACTERS & BACKGROUND


THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE


A long time ago there was a hare who wouldn’t stop making fun of the tortoise for his slowness. “I’m the fastest runner in the woods and you are the slowest one! We should compete!” he jeered. 

"Do you ever get anywhere?" he asked with a mocking laugh.

"Yes," replied the Tortoise, "and I get there sooner than you think. 

One day the tortoise, tired of the hare showing off, agreed to have a running competition. “You may be fast, but I am persistent”, he said.


The next day the tortoise and the hare stood at the start, ready for the race. “One, two, three, go”, said the hare and they started running 

The hare was a long way in front of the tortoise when he saw a field of cabbages. He looked back and almost couldn’t see the tortoise. “Take your time!” he shouted to the tortoise, “I’ll have a snack here and still I’ll win the race!” 

When he had finished his breakfast, the hare looked around to see how far the tortoise had got. He still hadn’t passed halfway! Feeling sleepy after his snack, the hare thought to himself, “I will have a quick snooze now and when I wake up I will quickly run past the finish line.” 

He fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of winning the competition. Time passed and the sun was already setting when the hare woke up. He jumped and looked around to see the tortoise a few steps from the finish line. 

The hare rushed towards the finish line as fast as he could, but the tortoise was already crossing it, winning the competition. “You don’t always have to be the fastest to win”, the tortoise told the hare, who was sobbing in disgrace. 


CONVERGING IDEAS TECHNIQUE




The Converging Idea technique through its storyline of converging ideas can be used to demonstrate how distinct ideas come together. It allows a storyteller to describe how that extraordinary, never-before-thought-of idea came to be. Every idea might constitute a story in and of itself, but they all come together in the end to form one story.

The concept of the opposite storyline of the main characters represents the storyline of converging ideas. For example, The hare is very certain of its victory, so it stops even during race and goes to sleep, whereas the tortoise, who is aware of his competence but does not use them as a justification to be a hindrance in his race, continues to move slowly however without stopping and eventually wins.

Activity suitable for Advanced Level Pupils

Advanced level pupils who are looking for more difficult and innovative ways to practice their language skills may find this type of activity to be especially engaging, interesting and stimulating their mind.  With the aid of the items in the box, they can reenact the folktale/ fable in their own unique way, adding their own thoughts and opinions.

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